Demonic Affections
by MintIceTea
Summary: The whole thing started when Neuro said "I've got something to show you!" Or maybe even before that. It's hard to remember when she's sure she's got brain damage.


The whole thing came as a surprise really. Yako later compared it to being struck by a meteor the way it practically fell out of the sky.

The ceiling actually.

And if she was being completely honest she had about two seconds of warning before hand when her demon partner reached up to grab the not-quite-so-nondescript rope hanging from the tiles above. But two seconds didn't give her enough time to move before he yanked on the rope, opening a trap door and letting a ladder smack her painfully in the occipital. Neuro watched her with a smug grin as she blinked the tears away.

"I made a home for you, Vermin!" He exclaimed proudly when her frown was directed towards him once more. Her eyes traveled warily up the ladder to the darkness above. Skittering and wailing made her squint suspiciously.

"Thanks Neuro, but I'm fine. I've got my own apartment, remember?"

"Oh I do remember, but I wanted to make sure you have another room in case something…happens…to your place of residence." His smile was so sweet Yako felt nauseous

"Please," she sighed in resignation, "if you're going to destroy my place at least let me grab my menu collection first."

"It's up there!" Neuro pointed his middle finger up towards the darkness.

Yako took a deep breath; counted to twenty, then cautiously put her foot on the lowest rung of the ladder. "Neuro, I had a coupon for Coco-Ichi in there that expires tomorrow. I'm going to go get it, and you will drag my half-dead and mauled corpse to their nearest location so I can have my final meal, okay?"

"So dramatic," Neuro tsked.

"Promise me!"

With a heavy sigh and gratuitous eye rolling he promised she'd have her last bowl of curry even if he had to carry her there. He had been infuriatingly self-satisfied since her faux-pas last week and Yako hadn't been able to deduce why. And if this flirtation with death would give her some kind of explanation it'd be worth it.

Or at least she hoped.

She climbed slowly, trying to resist the force of his claws on her bum, pushing her upwards. "Geez, Neuro! I'm moving, let go of me!"

"Nope!" She couldn't see him, but she knew that was the voice that went with his 'innocent' smile. "Sensei has to see what I've done! Then we can go out for the drink you promised me!"

"We already had drinks last week!" She stopped just short of her head clearing the hole in the ceiling to peer down at him.

He pursed his lips in what may have been a pout. "That doesn't count, Ringworm, you brought your boyfriend." His face suddenly brightened, "but this time he won't be bothering us!"

"Neuro," Yako's voice began to rise in panic, "what did you do to Higuchi-eeek!" With a shove Neuro sent her sprawling into the attic space she didn't know they had. When she cautiously opened her eyes she was pleased to see no toxic goo, or rotting corpses, not even a collection of eyeball-bugs.

What she found instead was what could only be described as a nest. But big enough for a person (Yako refused to acknowledge it was big enough for two). The outer ring of the nest was made from huge black vines with long thorns that could easily rip her to shreds. The inner ring of the nest though, was full of blankets and pillows, and alarmingly Yako recognized all of her own bedding as well as a few of the spare blankets from her mom's place. Even her childhood teddy bear was sitting proudly in the center of the nest, though Yako wasn't sure what she thought about the stuffed horns that had been lovingly sewed to his head.

"Neuro?" She turned to see him peering at her from the hole. "What the hell is this?"

"I thought you had enough brain cells left to figure it out. I made you a nest. It's much better than that lousy apartment you had. It was so easy to break into even morons could do it. And it was drafty. And the doorman tried to look up your skirt." Neuro reported with a slightly malicious grin. Yako's head swam

"Um," she glanced between him and the…_nest_. "You aren't going to, uh, join me in it, are you?" Yako would remain in denial that her voice squeaked at the end.

Neuro blinked at her. Their eyes met and held and surprisingly it wasn't uncomfortable. After a moment he ducked back out of sight leaving her with the word: "No."

Yako sat back on her heels, gathering her stuffed bear into her arms absently. Finally able to force a shaky air full into her lungs she relaxed. When she was able to look around the room with clear eyes, it actually wasn't too bad. Not that she really _wanted_ to live right above where she worked. But it was dark and cozy, and to be honest at the end of the day and after dinner all Yako wanted to do was sleep anyway.

She'd give it a week or so. If this weird nest-attic-bedroom didn't work out she'd go out apartment hunting. Yako turned to go back down the ladder only to be stopped when Neuro once again popped his head up through the hole. "Did I say 'no'? Slip of the tongue. What I meant was 'not yet'." He grinned at her suddenly pale face.

She swallowed and closed her eyes. Never mind. She'd start looking at apartments today.


End file.
